Ricardo Espadas
Ricardo Espadas is the goalkeeper and captain of the Mexican youth team, the first opponent of All Japan Youth in the World Youth. An orphan, he was born at Mexico City slums and quickly befriended García, Saragosa, Alvez, Suárez and López, the Five Aztec Warriors. His main characteristic is that he does not stay in his area, but goes out, does overlaps, assists his team and scores goals. He is based on real-life Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos. Synopsis Battle of World Youth Arc Espadas and the Five Aztec Warriors grew up in the slums at Mexico City, being each other's family, living at orphanages. With no money, the six of them could only practice with a ball made of clothes. Espadas is a prodigious player, and helps his team by doing overlaps, not just staying at the goal. He loved soccer, and was supported by the quintet, but he grew tired and hateful towards his poverty. As kids, Espadas and the quintet once attempted to steal soccer balls and equipments from a store. However, they were badly beaten up by the guys that the store owner hired. The turn of events was, coincidentally, that very same day. A charitable institution of Japan came and donated some toys, including soccer balls and equipment. With the ball he received, as time passes, Espadas manage to beat his poverty, and is recognized as a player. Espadas eventually become part of the Mexican youth team, participating in the World Youth. At some point before the tournament, Mexico had a training match with Uruguay, in which they lost 1-5. World Youth Tournament Mexico is in group A, along with Japan, Uruguay and Italy. During the party held one day prior to the starting match, Espadas confronts Tsubasa Ozora, a player from a rich country - Japan, and destroys the very ball that he received when he was little in front of the latter, in order to show Tsubasa how he hate soccer. Tsubasa realize that it is a lie, though. Right at the beginning of the match, Japan already manages to set up a good scoring chance. Espadas catches Shingo Aoi's rovesciata however, and begins to overlap. He dodges Kojiro Hyuga's tackle before sending the ball to the Five Aztec Warriors, but the quintet is offside because of Jun Misugi's offside trap. Japan quickly resume the play, as Espadas is still far away from his own goal. However Espadas still makes it in time to stop Hyuga's volley shot. He then overlaps again and set up another chance for the Aztec Warriors, who aren't offside this time. However, their aerial Lucha Soccer Style was made ineffective by the Tachibana twins's Skylab technique. Mexico keeps on attacking, but cannot beat the twins and the keeper Ken Wakashimazu. The first half ends 0-0. Espadas changes to his white jersey during half time, indicates that Mexico will be even more aggressive during the second half. They still cannot score however, until the 75th minute, when Garcia purposely injure the twins and receives a red card in return. Without the twins, the four remaining Aztec Warriors successfully reach the goal with their aerial technique, and even though Wakashimazu repels Lopez's shot, Espadas manages to follow and score with a trick shot. Mexico then switch to defense. Espadas stops many shots from Japan, but eventually, after the incompleted Sky Dive Shoot, followed by a loop shoot from Tsubasa, Aoi picks up the repelled ball and equalizes. Then, just before the end of the match, Hyuga goes for a jumping volley. Espadas is sure he can stop the shot, but an injured Tsubasa, who sensed this, block the shot with his face to give Hyuga another chance to shoot, and Hyuga scores with his Raiju Shoot, reversing the score. Both Espadas and Tsubasa is sent to the infirmary. Here, the two of them exchange uniforms, and Espadas ask Tsubasa if he can have his ball - which is full of memories - back. The latter accepts. Later, Espadas warns Tsubasa about their next opponent Uruguay, who defeated Mexico 5-1 before. Espadas decides to play the next matches, but with another loss and a draw, Mexico is eliminated from the tournament. Rising Sun Arc Espadas is currently playing for Everton, and is also part of the Olympic Mexico team. To be added as series progresses Espadas' Jerseys Espadas wears 3 different jerseys. While all of them have the same zigzag design, one has many colors, while the other is white and the last one black. The white one means that Mexico has to attack with all of its might, while the black one says they must put all their effort in defense. The one with many colors is the regular one. This design was inspired by the Mexican Goalkeeper Jorge Campos in the 90's. Special techniques *'Reflexes' *'Ball keep' *'Ball control' *'Trick Shoot' Trivia * Espadas and the Mexican team appeared in the cover of Volume 16 of the World Youth. and the Five Aztec Warriors]] Category:Goalkeepers Category:Players of Mexico